The present invention relates to electronic equipment such as digital camera, in particular, relates to HMI (Human Machine Interface) of electronic equipment.
Generally, electronic equipment, in which an arbitrary function is selected from functions displayed on a screen by moving a cursor up, down, right, and left by operating a cross key, and a process according to the selected function is carried out, is known. (For example, refer to patent documents 1 and 2). A cross key is used in a multitude of electronic equipment because it can select a number of functions in one controller.
On the other hand, a digital camera which uses a cross key and an LCD (liquid crystal display) as an HMI (Human Machine Interface) to set an image size, a white balance, an aperture, an exposure, an ISO film speed is known (for example, refer to patent document 3). In a menu operation with a cross key and an LCD, a number of items can be set with few switches by combining operations such as a menu call, selection of an item, and decision.
However, there is a problem that power consumption is high in an HMI which uses an LCD. In addition, a screen of an LCD has a visibility problem in bright outdoors. In addition, a design which is unique to electronic equipment like a cross key and an LCD sometimes is avoided by an enthusiast of a film camera. In addition, in the menu operation with a cross key and an LCD, it is necessary to perform operations of a menu call, selection, decision in a predetermined order so that to change setting such as a white balance quickly so as not to miss a shutter chance takes getting used to.    Patent Document 1:
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-327721.    Patent Document 2:
International Patent Publication No. WO98/51073.    Patent Document 3:
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-177758.